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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304613">Puppy Kisses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpixie42/pseuds/superpixie42'>superpixie42</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Bliss, During Canon, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Married sexy times, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Post-Canon, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Tumblr Prompt, includes original fanart, shippo is Kagome's son and I refuse to accept otherwise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:22:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,078</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/superpixie42/pseuds/superpixie42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompts and ficlets too short to have their own posting. Short and sweet like puppy kisses. Collection is rated M but stories range from K-M: there is a descriptive author's note at the start of each chapter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>237</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Table of Contents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 1: Puppy Kisses<br/>Rated G : Canon-Divergent<br/>Summary: Inuyasha distracts Kagome as she studies.</p><p>Chapter 2: Third Time's the Charm<br/>Rated G: Canon-Divergent<br/>Summary: Three secret kisses.</p><p>Chapter 3: 3 AM (I must be hungry)<br/>Rated T for Language : Modern AU<br/>Summary: You seriously need to stop watching sad dog commercials at 3am</p><p>Chapter 4: Magnetic<br/>Rated T for Language: Canon-Divergent<br/>Summary: A soul-mate fic inspired by the Flyleaf song ‘Magnetic’.</p><p>Chapter 5: Found Family<br/>Rated T : Canon-Divergent<br/>Summary: Shippo’s attempt to play a prank has unexpected consequences.</p><p>Chapter 6: Sloth<br/>Rated G : Modern AU<br/>Summary: College vacation ficlet with art by wolfcry77</p><p>Chapter 7: Fanservice Hotel and Suites<br/>Rated T : Modern AU<br/>Summary: A twist on the classic “There Was Only One Bed” trope.</p><p>Chapter 8: Morning Glory<br/>Rated M for sexual content : Post-Canon<br/>Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome share a morning quickie.</p><p>Chapter 9: Always Saying the Wrong Thing<br/>Rated T : Modern AU<br/>Summary: A soulmate birthmark AU in which both Inuyasha and Kagome make unkind assumptions.</p><p>Chapter 10: The (Not So) Single Riders Line<br/>Rated T: Modern AU<br/>Summary: A theme park meet-cute ficlet. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Puppy Kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: Kisses in Secret<br/>Rated G: canon</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three days. It had been three days since she went home for one of her "tests". He used to fight her tooth and nail about going home, but that was before. Things between them had changed. Being in her world, in her room, they got to fully embrace this change -- and each other. On the quest they had to keep everything a secret. Kagome called it private but he knew better. He knew how his world would react to her rubbing his ears while he ran, or him nuzzling his face against hers while they stopped for lunch. All hell would break loose if Shippo or Miroku caught them kissing when she stopped to tie her shoe, taking just long enough for the rest of the group to crest the hill before reaching up on her tiptoes to gently brunch her lips against his. He couldn't even hold her hand as they walked down the road for fear of a random traveler getting the right idea about their relationship.</p><p>Their relationship.</p><p>He couldn't stop the smile that broke out across his face as he sat on the roof of her house. Things had definitely changed for the better, but for the last three days it had all backslid. This wasn't a normal test she was preparing for. She didn't come home from school alone; she had an army of friends sharing notes and going through practice questions with her. She didn't come and sit on the bed with him, using his leg as a pillow while she read. Instead he'd been banished to the roof or the sacred tree to make sure her friends didn't see him. She had originally suggested he go back through the well until she was done, but he couldn't do that anymore. Her stress was palpable, and his protective nature was in overdrive. There was no way in hell he was going any farther than the roof directly above her window. Maybe he couldn't hold her anymore but at least this way he could still hear and smell her.</p><p>Unfortunately it also meant he could hear and smell Hojo. He trusted Kagome, and he knew how she felt about him. He didn't know why but still. He also knew a "sit" from a second floor window onto concrete would really, really hurt. So he kept his vigil, carefully out of sight while they continued to work.</p><p>He knew humans wouldn't smell scent marking, but he could, and he needed to make sure Kagome smelt as much like him as possible when a rival male was around. Human noses be damned. It was over two hours before his moment finally arrived. As Hojo excused himself to the bathroom, Inuyasha sprung into action. Leaning down over the lip of the roof, he lowered himself until his face was upside down in the middle of her window.</p><p>"Kagome," he called, "Kagome come here."</p><p>The girl in question spun her chair around so fast she nearly flew out of it.</p><p>"Inuyasha!" She hissed his name as she scampered to the window. "Get out of here he's gonna see you!"</p><p>“Then you better get over here quick, huh?” he smirked at her, one ear trained at the door.</p><p>“What do you want, Inuyasha? I know it's boring for you but this is important.”</p><p>“So is this-”<br/>
He reached out, his right hand caressing her cheek as she leaned into him. His kiss was rough and demanding, his tongue swiftly invading her mouth. His hand began to move down her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. The spike in her scent nearly had him falling off the roof, her quiet whimper enough to have him seriously consider pulling her out the window. It was not to be, though, as he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He slowed the kiss pulling his face away just a hair. He had only a second before Hojo reentered the room, he had to move quickly. Taking full advantage of his hanyou speed Inuyasha swiftly ran the flat of his tongue across Kagome’s face in what can only be referred to as a ‘puppy kiss’.</p><p>“Gotta go!”</p><p>He had pulled himself up and away from the window just as Hojo opened the door, leaving a blushing, sputtering, entirely discombobulated Kagome half leaned out her bedroom window. </p><p>“Uh, Higurashi? Is everything okay?”</p><p>She turned from the window so quickly Inuyasha heard her collide with her side table, the lamp knocking against the wall. </p><p>“What? No. I mean yes. Its.. I’m fine,” she sighed deeply. Inuyasha imagined her blush deepening from his post back up on the roof. He knew he’d catch hell for that later. She hated it when he got possessive around Hojo, and she always got testy when he teased her around people knowing he could smell her even if the humans couldn't. But right now, he was safe to sit back and enjoy her frustration aimed at someone else. Maybe being a secret wasn’t so bad after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Third Time's the Charm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A failed attempt at the "secret kisses" prompt that instead became a "things I wish Kagome had realized in canon" ficlet.<br/>Rated K</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first kiss was a reflex.<br/>
A bruised and bloodied Inuyasha had been flung into the river by a rampaging bear demon. He didn't come back up. Kagome didn't even take her shoes off as she rushed into the water. Quickly finding him by his mass of red fabric, she struggled to drag his waterlogged form to shore. She pulled him to the bank, dropping to her knees beside him trying desperately not to cry. She needed to focus, she needed to know if he was still breathing. She grabbed his head to keep it from lolling to the side, quickly tapping her hand against his cheek to try and wake him up. Leaning down she almost touched her nose to his, waiting for a sign of life. His sputtering cough came with a mouthful of river water. She sobbed in relief, wrapping her arms around his head and smashing her lips down into his hair between his soggy ears. She didn't think he'd notice, but he did.</p><p>The second kiss was an experiment.<br/>
The group was walking in their new standard marching order: Inuyasha and Kagome in front, Miroku, Sango, and the littles in the back. Kagome had originally started walking with Inuyasha instead of Sango to allow the demon slayer more time (somewhat) alone with her fiancé, with Shippo acting as chaperone. This had been the new normal for about a week when it happened-- Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand. They'd held hands before but always in private. The monk could see them! Anyone on the road could see them! He turned to look at her and his protest died in his throat. She looked so... content. Like the only thing in the world she wanted was to keep his hand in hers. So he let her. He hadn't had this kind of affectionate contact with anyone since his mother died and embarrassing or not he's be damned before he walked away from it now. Not that he'd ever say that out loud. And if she ever tried to make him he would probably drop her hand like a hot rock. Yet here he was, walking down the road in the middle of the day his hand in hers. And he liked it. And she liked it. Which made him wonder ... would she maybe like more? Before he could overthink it he swiftly pulled her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss across her knuckles. She blushed, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life .</p><p>The third kiss was a question.<br/>
They had walked hand in hand from the village to the well in tense silence. Inuyasha marched the group double time back to the village and didn't even stop to talk to Kaede before turning west into the forest that bore his name. Kagome had to run to catch up with him, grabbing his hand to slow him down as much as to be close to him. What had gotten into him? She was familiar with his pissy bravado, but this was different. They had just started exploring their new intimacy - holding hands as they walked, sitting shoulder to shoulder at meal times, talking more openly that she guessed he had in his life. Couldn't he just tell her what his problem was? She stood on the lip of the well and looked down. If he was really that upset about her going home couldn't he just come with? That's when realization struck her. She'd never been particularly welcoming when he came to her side of the well; complaining that he was a distraction and forcing him to hide in the Shrine most of the time he was there. It wasn't really how she felt. She loved having him around, but her home was different than here. Routine reigned and she just didn't know how to mesh that with Inuyasha's chaos. Hence the frequent screaming. He probably thought she wanted to get away from him, and that he couldn't follow her no matter how much he wanted to. She needed to fix this. She spun around, still standing on the edge of the well. Inuyasha was immediately in front of her, hands on her hips, a question in his expression.</p><p>"Inuyasha," she said gently, placing her hands on his shoulders. They were nearly eye to eye, an exciting change from typically staring at his chest. Not that she minded, but for this she was looking forward to seeing his expression. She leaned forward, gently pressing her lips against his. It was soft, chaste, and had her feeling tingly down to her toes. She could feel him smile into the kiss, her cue to pull away. </p><p> "Inuyasha, would you come with me?"</p><p>His ears perked up instantly but his face showed his hesitation.<br/>
"You really want me to come with you?" </p><p>"Yes, I do. You don't have to, but--"</p><p>The fourth, fifth, and sixth were his answer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 3 AM (I must be hungry)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Prompt: You seriously need to stop watching sad dog commercials at 3am<br/>Modern AU rated T for language</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Inuyasha groaned deeply as he rolled to his side. He slowly peeled one amber eye open and looked at the clock on the bedside table, silently praying he could snuggle down into the blanket and go back to sleep. 3AM-- why was he awake at 3am? He was just rolling back over when his ears twitched, a sound just outside his clear hearing range must be what woke him up. He reached his arm out to snuggle his wife when he quickly realized two things. His very pregnant wife was very clearly missing from their bed and it was her crying downstairs that had woken him up.</p><p><br/>
Fuck. <em>Fuck</em>. <strong><em>Fuck.</em></strong></p><p><br/>
Why was she out of bed? Why didn’t she wake him up? How long had she been downstairs?</p><p><br/>
He took the stairs three at a time, claws gouging into the wood as he used the banister to drift around the corner into the living room.<br/>
“Kagome!?”  </p><p><br/>
His wife was sitting on the couch, still in her shorts and sports bra, 34 week belly proudly on display. She didn’t appear to be bleeding or throwing up or any other obvious concern. No furniture was knocked over and he couldn't smell anyone else in the house. He dropped to his knees and began to unceremoniously sniff her, checking her for non-visual injuries or illness... something to justify her tears.</p><p><br/>
“Inuyasha, what are you doing?” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, a small sniffle escaping without her intention.</p><p><br/>
Having decided she was in no actual danger he dropped back onto his haunches and glared at his wife. “What am I doing? What the fuck are you doing woman? ”</p><p><br/>
He took quick stock of the room. The TV was on, volume low. Sitting on the end table next to the couch was half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk. She had clearly gotten up for one of her usual midnight snacks but her eyes were puffy, her nose runny, and there were clear lines down her blotchy cheeks. She hadn’t just cried, she’d been damn near hysterical.</p><p><br/>
“Umm…” she started, but stopped when a small blush started to spread across her cheeks. “I really didn’t mean to wake you up.” She looked down at the couch, clearly embarrassed. “But I had to pee. Since I was up I figured I’d have a snack. Then I turned on the TV since going right back to bed after eating gives me heartburn,” she started speaking more quickly as her embarrassment grew.  “The Golden Girls was on but then all of a sudden it was a PSA for the Humane Society and they had all these puppies in cages and dogs out in the cold and one of the puppies was missing his ear and I just…” her eyes had started watering again as she rambled, her voice wavering as she absentmindedly stroked her hand across her swollen belly.</p><p><br/>
Inuyasha reached across and placed his hand on hers, stilling her movements.</p><p><br/>
"You seriously need to stop watching sad dog commercials at 3am,” he said sternly. “You're an absolute mess; this is ridiculous!"</p><p><br/>
“I didn’t mean to,” she protested, “they sprung it on me!”</p><p>“That’s what you said last time!”</p><p><br/>
“I...okay fair.” She signed, rubbing her eyes to clear any residual tears. This wasn’t the first time she’d been caught off guard by a media includenced mood swing. She’d switched almost exclusively to streaming services to avoid these kinds of incidents.</p><p>“Stupid hormones…”</p><p><br/>
“Hey now,” her husband crooned, “they aren’t all bad now are they? You weren’t so upset about them this morning. Or last night. Or the day before that.”</p><p>Kagome playfully swatted his shoulder. Her hormones had made her hornier than a teenager but that didn’t mean she wanted to be teased about it. Inuyasha stood up and held his hand out for her.</p><p>“Come back to bed,” he said, “you can put on a movie and finish eating upstairs.”</p><p><br/>
“You hate my bedtime movies,” she countered but took his hand nonetheless and hoisted herself up off the couch.</p><p><br/>
“I like ‘em a hell of a lot more than waking up in an empty bed and losing three years off my life from stress.” He gathered up her snacks and started up the stairs, his wife waddling behind him.</p><p><br/>
Neither of them fell back asleep until dawn, enjoying one of their last nights alone too much to squander it on sleep. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Magnetic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I was listening to Magnetic by Flyleaf and it hit me with some canon feels which I decided to make into very literal feels.<br/>Link to the song in the AN at the bottom.<br/>Canon Divergent Rated T</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The longer Kagome spent in the feudal era the more control she gained over her spiritual power and all of the weird physical sensations that came with it. It started with the jewel shards. Whenever one was in proximity it felt like an electric shock and she could easily follow the buzzing Tesla-coil like sound to the shard's location. It got weird when Kikyou was resurrected. The feeling of her soul being nearby was like an itch she couldn't scratch; a phantom limb but inside her body. The closer she got to Kikyou the worse the itching became, making her even more agitated than she was already prone to be around her preincarnation.</p><p>But this was different. She had just started working on meditation to feel for demonic auras. She sat a little away from their lunch time camp with Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara while Inuyasha fished and Sango tended the fire. Kagome sat with her eyes closed and her mind open. Miroku said to feel for their energy, to imagine reaching out and touching their spirit. Shippo and Kirara took their chosen spaces in the clearing, essentially playing Demon Aura Marco Polo. Kagome should feel the aura and move towards it. It had been two weeks and so far nothing, she hadn't moved an inch. All of her spiritual experiences thus far had been accidents or instinct, she was really struggling to recreate anything on purpose.</p><p>Then suddenly it hit her. It felt like she'd swallowed a magnet and her whole body was being pulled towards... something. She couldn't put her finger on what she was being pulled towards but she was almost frantic in her sudden need to move where her body, her soul, so desperately wanted to be. She was quickly on her feet and took four swift, confident steps directly to her left and walked smack into Inuyasha's chest.</p><p>"Damn Kagome if you were that hungry we should have just had ninja food."</p><p>She opened her eyes but then blinked at him. "What?"</p><p>"Whataya mean what? I was just coming to tell you lunch is ready when you came running."</p><p>She threw her hands up in the air, "Uhg! You broke my concentration- I finally almost had it!"</p><p>"I didn't do shit! I hadn't even said anything before you came over!"</p><p>She rolled her eyes and walked past him to the fire. Jerk couldn't even apologize when he knew how important this was to her. The feeling was gone and now all she had to focus on was her frustration. They were only a day from the well, heading back so Kagome could attempt to pass an English test. Kagome would have to talk to Kaede about this. Maybe it was different for a Miko than for a monk?</p><p>-x-</p><p>They arrived back at the village just after noon. Inuyasha went to scout the area, but Kagome suspected he was going to sulk. She's lost her temper with him more than once on the trip back. He just didn't seem to think her Miko training was important, throwing a fit every time she wanted to stop and focus on the new magnetic pull she would feel from time to time. It never seemed to match up with Miroku feeling a new presence in the area and it was only ever one pull, not multiple like she thought she should get with both Shippo and Kirara.</p><p>Kaede, unfortunately, was the opposite of helpful.</p><p>"I'm afraid the monk is correct, child. What you have described is not a demonic aura for those are cold and feel like a terrible draft rolling over you." She seemed thoughtful for a moment then asked, "Try again and tell me if you feel it now."</p><p>Kagome took a deep breath and tried to focus on the feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had been there since entering the village but gentle enough to ignore. Now that she was focusing on it again it became a compelling urge to go...up?</p><p>She opened her eyes and scowled at the ceiling.</p><p>"Well, that didn't help at all. I think I should head home, maybe I'm more stressed about that test than I thought."</p><p>Walking out of Kaede's hut Kagome stopped and looked at the roof. She was more than a little disappointed to see nothing there. With a dejected sigh she settled her monsterous bag on her shoulders and walked to the well. The feeling in her gut was still there, but as she moved deeper into the woods and away from the village she noticed it less and less.</p><p>She sat on the edge of the well and swung her legs over. She never quite got the hang of leaping into the time slip like Inuyasha did. She liked the moment of stability before feeling 500 years fly under her feet. Landing on the hard packed dirt on her side of the timeline Kagome almost immediately lost her lunch. The pulling feeling was worse than it had been and was threatening to rip her stomach out of her and onto the floor. She dropped to her hands and knees and attempted to catch her breath.</p><p>Well, that can't be good.</p><p>After several slow, deep breaths the feeling lessened. It was still urgent but no longer had her feeling so panicked. As she started to climb out of the well she felt like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood: her belly full of rocks, the weight of them dragging her back to the dirt floor. She sat on the stairs not quite ready to leave the well house. She was anxious, why had the feeling not only followed her here but gotten so much worse? It had been getting better on the walk through the forest which didn't make any sense. Kaede had been confident Kagome wasn't tapping into demonic energy, and Kaede was rarely wrong. With that somewhat comforting thought Kagome finally dragged herself out of the well house and into the shrine grounds. Maybe after a good dinner she would feel better.</p><p>-x-</p><p>It had been a complete waste of a good dinner. The feeling was completely unchanged through the whole meal, a shower, and several hours of attempting to study. Not only was she going to flunk that test but she was almost too nervous to care. Giving up she crawled into bed to attempt to get some sleep. She had only just drifted off when she awoke with a start.</p><p>The feeling was gone.</p><p>She bolted upright and placed her hand on her belly. The feeling was gone, completely. Why had it been so strong and then--</p><p>"Kagome? Are you alright?"</p><p>She should have been more surprised at hearing Inuyasha in her room in the middle of the night, but at the moment she was more comforted than anything.</p><p>"I think something is wrong with me," she said in a whisper, "something has been feeling wrong for days and I don't know what it is."</p><p>She turned to look at him and was no longer comforted. His ears were drooping and he looked...ashamed? Embarrassed?  He didn't seem able to meet her eye.</p><p>"Inuyasha," still no eye contact, "do you know what's wrong with me?"</p><p>He sighed and seemed to come to a decision. "I didn't know it could happen to humans. Myoga didn't even know it could happen to a Hanyou until a few months ago. I heard you talking to the hag about it--"</p><p>"Wait a minute" Kagome's eyes were suddenly the size of dinner plates, "you were on Kaede's roof this afternoon." She didn't phrase it as a question, but he still nodded his answer. "And you followed me to the well."</p><p>"I couldn't just let you go wondering by yourself! Everytime I blink you get kidnapped."</p><p>Part of her wanted to argue that wasn't true but, well it kind of was, and they had bigger issues to discuss.</p><p>"I don't understand. What am I feeling? What changed? If it's from being around you why haven't I felt it before?"</p><p>It was obvious from his body language he didn't want to answer her. His arms were crossed tightly in front of his chest, his ears were as low to his skull as they could be, and he was staring out the window like he wanted nothing more than to bolt. His attention was so resolutely elsewhere he didn't even move when Kagome stood and placed her hand on his arm.</p><p>The effect was instantaneous. As soon as she touched him they both felt a calming warmth spread across them, like a heated blanket being placed around their shoulders.</p><p>"Oh, well that's new..." whispered Kagome.</p><p>"Not to me."</p><p>Kagome snapped her head up to look Inuyasha in the eye and her question caught in her throat. She had dreamed of him looking at her like this - eyes full of love, devotion, like she was the only person in the world- but now that she saw it she was almost terrified at the intensity. He took her hand off of his arm and weaved his fingers between hers, his thumb gently brushing across her knuckle.</p><p>"What you're feeling is called a Mate Pull.  Demons can feel each other's auras and when they find one that compliments their own they feel pulled together. It's instinct. It helps keep them safe, helping them track each other when they're separated outside of hearing or scent range. It..." he swallowed hard, his Adam's Apple bobbing in his throat. "It's what woke me up. I'm only a half-breed but the pull was still strong enough to break Kikyou's spell."</p><p>Kagome squeezed his hand. Her mind was reeling, this was so much information to take in at 2am. She had so many questions she wanted to ask but knew she was pushing her luck getting Inuyasha to answer any of them. Finally she chose her first question.</p><p>"If you've felt like this the whole time why didn't you say anything?"</p><p>He blushed, which was not what she was expecting as an answer.</p><p>"I didn't know that's what it wasn't first. All my demon knowledge I get from Myoga and he didn't even bother mentioning it before, figuring my human half would drown the instinct. It wasn't until I asked him about it after the first time you went back down the well that we worked it out."</p><p>"No wonder you're such an ass about me coming home," the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them but once they were out there she decided she didn't want to stop. "Why didn't you tell me? It's been one day and I've been miserable and this has been happening to you for months!"</p><p>“What was I supposed to say Kagome? Hey I know you just found out demons exist and I know you hate me and our new holy quest we have to go on but by the way you’re my soulmate? You would have sat me until my back broke. And I did try! I tried to stop you from going home or I follow you around this hellscape everytime you insist on coming anyway. Why do you think I touch you so much? I sure as hell don’t touch anyone else!”</p><p>“I didn’t hate you.”</p><p>“Really, that’s your take away here?”</p><p>“It’s kind of important!”</p><p>He rolled his eyes and pulled on her hand, bringing their intertwined digits directly in front of her face. “I had worked it out by now, thanks.” </p><p>“If you know I don’t hate you then why didn’t you tell me?” maybe if she asked the question another fifteen times he’d finally actually answer. She wasn’t buying his dancing around, there was something he was actively not saying. He broke eye contact and let go of her hand, returning his to his sleeves.</p><p>“There’s a whole lot of things between ‘I don’t hate you’ and ‘I want to be stuck with you for eternity,’ Kagome.” </p><p>She let out a small huff through her nose. He was right, there were a lot of things in between but maybe two oclock in the morning wasn’t the time to figure out their specifics. “You’re right, we have a lot to talk about, but for now, maybe we should just get some sleep?” </p><p>Inuyasha nodded his agreement and moved to sit in his customary space under the window. He only made it one step before Kagome placed her hand against his chest to stop him.</p><p>“So, if what you say is true and the pull is at its worst when out of sensory range,” she was blushing so bad she risked blacking out, “then I guess you’re just going to have to sleep in my bed tonight, because of my dull human senses and all.” </p><p>He looked at her and she could see he was blushing as intensely as she was. She was worried he was going to refuse when a smirk perked up from the corner of his mouth. “You humans are the worst.”</p><p>Kagome practically leapt into bed, sliding over to give Inuyasha’s significantly larger frame more space. As he settled in next to her she was surprised but pleased to feel his arms wrap around her middle. That warm, heavy feeling settled deep in her bones. They did have a lot to talk about, and a lot of it might be uncomfortable for one or the other of them. They were great at feeling feelings, but talking about feelings wasn’t exactly their forte. But if it meant they could go to sleep like this every night then she was absolutely looking forward to it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't own this song, it just inspired me https://open.spotify.com/track/6dslfgUujlqHmd8vvA7NrN</p><p>I also don't own Inuyasha in any way, shape, or form.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Found Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy birthday @dog-forest-spirit on Tumblr. 10/10 recommend you follow her. <br/>2242 words, canon, rated G</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was springtime in the Sengoku Jidai. For the inutachi this meant they still made camp early so their fire could offset the evening chill, but earlier sunrises made for a better start to the day when they felt motivated. This particular day they broke camp just after dawn, eager to get back to Kaede' s before the new moon in two nights. While they didn't usually make a bee line for the village at Inuyasha's 'time of the month' they were running low on supplies, so now would be as good a time as any. </p><p>After a simple breakfast of roasted fish, the group took up their usual marching order on the wide trade road: Miroku and Sango in the back with Kirara perched on her master’s shoulder, Kagome with Shippo in the middle, and Inuyasha technically leading the group but constantly dropping back by Kagome’s side. This was his routine nowadays. He would start in front then start dropping back until Shippo would tease him about getting too close, he’d stomp off to the front again, and then gradually slow down or turn and ask her a question to justify returning to her space. Today, however, the hanyou refused to take the bait. He stayed steadfast at Kagome’s left until they broke for lunch, hogging all of Kagome’s attention for the entire morning. </p><p>Shippo wasn't going to take this lying down. As the group finished up lunch and set around putting out the fire and repacking, he silently slinked off to set up an ambush of his screaming acorns just up the road. He'd be risking a solid thumping for such an obnoxious trick, but it would be worth it to forcefully snap the hanyou out of his boring mood and get Kagome’s sympathy for getting hit at the same time. Shippo scouted high and low for the perfect tree for his plan, desperately seeking a branch that would keep him out of sight until the very last moment. With his focus entirely southbound, he had no idea that from the north he’d left himself exposed and defenseless. </p><p>He had just settled into position when a sharp pain in his spine turned his worldview upside down as he was pulled from the tree and held aloft by his tail. Shippo twisted in his captor’s hold and saw three men: a hunting party consisting of two bowmen, one in brown the other in green, and a tall, broad man in simple linen holding a knife uncomfortably close to the small kit’s face. </p><p>"Well well well," said the hunter brandishing the knife, "what are you doing so close to this village, little fox?"</p><p>Shippo tried to answer that he had no intention of going near the village, but his words came out in a panicked stutter. One on one he was confident he could take on a human, but three to one didn't fill him with confidence. He continued to twist and turn, but the hunter only tightened his grasp, causing Shippo to whimper.</p><p>"I wonder what his fluffy little tail would be worth at the market," said one of the bowmen. "Do you think it would be worth more if it was still attached to his body?"</p><p>"Nah, too heavy to cart around," replied the other bowman, "better to just take the tail and be done with the beast." </p><p>“I dunno,” said the man with the knife. “We could probably sell the paws as lucky rabbit feet if we wanted.” He lifted Shippo higher, bringing his paws closer for inspection.</p><p>"Foxfire!" </p><p>Shippo quickly shot a handful of blue flame into the man's face causing him to drop both his knife and the kit as he howled in pain. As soon as hit paws hit the ground Shippo bounded towards the road, hoping to run into the rest of the group. His heart sank when he saw the road in front of him was empty. He froze, not knowing if he should run down the road or hide in the woods- where would he be safe?  The choice was made for him as the bowmen broke through the trees and took aim, standing between him and the forest. He turned and ran, the horrible crack of a bow string drowning out the sound of his shouts for help. The first arrow landed in the road too far to the left to hit him, but his relief was short lived. His shoulder exploded in a stinging pain- the second arrow skating across his shoulder blade, tearing through his silk jacket and leaving a wide gash in his flesh. He fell, the momentum of the arrow sending him face first into the dirt road. </p><p>It was all the time the burned hunter needed to snatch him up again. "You'll regret that you little bastard," he snarled, holding his reclaimed knife against Shippo's throat. A loud THWACK caught all of their attention as a blazing pink arrow sunk into the tree directly beside the man's head, sending a shower of wood splinters into the air. Shippo looked up and began to cry even harder. Kagome and Inuyasha were just cresting the hill. He watched as she notched another arrow from her perch on Inuyasha’s back, the hanyou dropping out of the sky and landing just on the other side of the road from the group of them.</p><p>Shippo renewed his struggling, shouting out for Kagome, “MOMMA! Momma help!”</p><p>Sliding off Inuyasha’s back, Kagome aimed her arrow directly at the hunter with the knife, "Drop him. Now.” </p><p>Behind her Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga, a surge of energy filling the air as the sword transformed. If Shippo hadn’t been so panicked, he would have noticed the flash of purple streak across Inuyasha’s cheeks for just a moment as he readied himself for battle, sword pointed squarely at the bowmen. Having some modicum of self preservation, the first bowman immediately dropped his weapon, surrendering to the enraged demon before a fight could even begin. The other chose instead to run. Their companion, however, was mad as hell from being burned and far from willing to forfeit his catch.</p><p>"Make me, bitch,” the man spat, his knife pushing closer into the kit’s throat.</p><p>"Wrong answer."</p><p>In the blink of an eye Kagome released her arrow, sending it soaring the short distance between them and into the arm holding Shippo, the arrowhead shearing clean through the muscle and emerging on the other side of the limb. Shippo was dropped to the ground again and quickly launched himself into Kagome’s arms. He clutched onto her blouse and pulled himself into a ball as much as he could, leaving small pinprick holes in her shirt from his trembling claws. Kagome crossed her arms around him and turned away from the battle shielding Shippo with her body as Inuyasha moved to stand between Kagome and the hunters. </p><p>Inuyasha spoke to the bowman, his words barely discernible from a growl, “I suggest you take your friend back to your village while he’s still one piece. He comes after my pack again and there won’t be enough of him left to fill an urn.” </p><p>Nodding quickly the bowman pulled his companion up off the ground where he lay cradling his injured arm. Without looking back, both men hobbled off the road and back into the forest; the sound of their hasty retreat and hushed curses having faded completely before Inuyasha relaxed and returned Tessaiga to its sheath. </p><p>Even with Inuyasha’s blunt but concerned comments and Kagome’s gentle murmured reassurances, it still took several minutes before Kagome could disconnect the hysterical kitsune from her blouse to check his injuries. By that time, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara had come looking for them, concerned that they hadn’t returned to their lunch spot. Deciding that more travel was too much to ask of Shippo, the group split up again. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara went to hunt meat for dinner and set up a camp suitable for them overnight while Inuyasha carried Kagome and Shippo back to the river to clean the kit’s injuries. </p><p>Arriving at the river, Inuyasha sat silently as Kagome washed, treated, and banaged Shippo’s shoulder, not once commenting on how the youkai would be fully healed before sunrise anyway. He didn’t rush Kagome as she cleaned and mended the damaged shirt and jacket; he even moved just a little bit closer as the two of them as they sat at the river’s edge while the midday sun dried the repaired garments. This meant he was close enough to overhear everything they said, even though Shippo clearly meant for only Kagome to hear him.</p><p>“I’m sorry I called you Momma when I got scared, Kagome,” he said in a small voice, reminding them of just how young the kitsune still was. “I know you don’t want to be my momma, I know you want to go home once the jewel is complete.” Despite his words, he snuggled further into Kagome’s arm, burying his nose into her shoulder to breathe in her scent. </p><p>After a long pause Kagome finally spoke. “Shippo, who told you I want to go home?”</p><p>“Everyone knows it. That’s why you go back so back and do the test things all the time. I understand, you have a real family there.” He looked up into Kagome’s bright blue eyes and was confused to see her look almost angry at him.</p><p>“I don’t know how everyone could know what I want when nobody’s ever asked me.”</p><p>Shippo looked over Kagome’s shoulder at  Inuyasha and saw that his ears had perked up, ‘Had the idiot really never asked her?’ </p><p>He turned to look at Kagome again when he heard her answer in a whisper, only intended for Shippo’s ears. “The truth is Shippo, I would like very much to stay here and to be your mother.” She gently ran her fingers through his fringe, “But I don’t think that’s just up to me…”</p><p>Shippo looked between Kagome and the back of Inuyasha’s head, both of them refusing to acknowledge all the unsaid things hanging in the air. They had saved his life tonight; the least he could do in return was help them finally,  finally acknowledge their pining. </p><p>“I understand,” said Shippo, raising his voice a little to make absolutely sure Inuyasha could hear him. “Because if you stay here, then when you and Inuyasha have pups he won’t want to be my dad anymore.”</p><p>Kagome blinked, her brain not processing the turn in the conversation, “What?”</p><p>“And he’s probably going to give you a lot of them, what with how often he talks about you and peeps on you when you’re bathing.” </p><p>Kagome missed the sound of Inuyasha’s indignant screeching --“You got a deathwish pipsqueak?!” -- as the blood rushed to her face in a violent blush. Shippo, however, was on a mission. </p><p>“Dog demons are very possessive; Inuyasha has already scent marked you, and called you pack.” He turned and leveled the hanyou with a smirk, daring him to say he was wrong. “So if you were my Momma, he would have to be my Dad.” </p><p>Shippo felt his confidence in his statement waver as Inuyasha closed the space between them, his large frame blocking out the sun as he loomed over him, the look in his eyes promising grievous bodily injury for his run away mouth.</p><p>“I think--” Kagome’s clear voice quickly had both boy’s attention, their hearts in their throats for two very different reasons. “I think I would really like it if Inuyasha was your Dad. I think you would make a great big brother someday, Shippo.” Her face was the color of strawberries but as she lifted her head and met Inuyasha’s vaguely terrified stare it was clear she meant every word. </p><p>Inuyasha nearly fainted; his body crashed down as he quickly sat next to the miko from the future, their audience temporarily forgotten. </p><p>“You’d want that? Really? You want to stay here?” Shippo had never heard Inuyasha speak so softly before, his ears drooping slightly from his obvious anxiety. </p><p>Kagome reached up and took one limp ear in her hand, gently rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger. “I want to stay with you.”</p><p>Shippo nearly jumped into the air- FINALLY- but it looked like they still needed just a little help. “Dad if you don’t kiss her, I’m going to light your hair on fire.”</p><p>Kagome turned to chastise him, “Shippo that’s not n--!” but her words were swallowed in the kiss Inuyasha rushed to give her.</p><p>Despite his less than smooth delivery the kiss was perfect: it was sweet, it was soft, and it was lasting entirely too long for Shippo’s liking. Deciding he could wait a day to take on his new official role as “parent romantic mood ruiner,” he carefully slid off of Kagome’s lap and went to sit closer to the river- letting them enjoy their moment together.</p><p>That night, back at camp, despite the obvious change in their relationship, Shippo was worried Inuyasha would revert back to his usual standoff behavior when around the others. When bedtime came nobody said a word as Inuyasha abandoned his usual post and instead laid down next to Kagome, draping her in his suikan sleeves to protect her against the bite in the evening air. Kagome opened her arms, letting Shippo curl up against her belly where he would be warmest. He was asleep in less than a minute.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Sloth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Modern AU ficlet rated G with art by Wolfcry77</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Inuyasha looked at the sleeping woman next to him. She'd curled herself up in the bucket seat, wrapped a blanket around her legs, and was snoring lightly with her left cheek smashed up against the window: her slow steady breath fogging up the glass. She was completely dead to the world despite the fact she had promised to stay awake and take equal shifts for the drive home.</p><p>He'd never gone "home" for the holidays before. He was originally from The City, too, but for the last three years had stayed in his tiny shitty studio apartment and took extra shifts at the restaurant to compensate for everyone else fleeing their college campus to be with family. Seeing as he didn't have one, he'd gotten used to the usually bustling college town becoming more of a ghost town every December.</p><p>But not this year.</p><p>This year Kagome invited him home to be with her family for the holidays. While he'd originally suggested they take the bus she'd insisted her tiny, $500 Honda with no heat and a cracked windshield could make the drive just fine. He'd groused and grumbled about taking the first shift in the tiny yellow deathtrap, but if he was honest with himself he knew he'd walk barefoot across Japan carrying her like a backpack if it kept her happy.</p><p>Inuyasha’s internal monologue was cut short when they hit a pothole so hard the Check Engine light came on. <em>Shit</em>. They quickly hit another that made the light go off. <em>Shit? Shit</em>. Maybe next year they really would walk.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>Art by wolfcry77 on Tumblr</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>art for this ficlet created by wolfcry77 on tumblr: you should really really check her out<br/>https://wolfcry77.tumblr.com/post/634065605046288384/i-literally-just-fucked-around-with-this-piece-but</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Fanservice Hotel and Suites</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Modern AU Birthday ficlet for WitchyGirl99 !<br/>Rated T for language</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> Inuyasha Takahashi loved working overnights. Sure his gig as hotel housekeeping was far from a dream job, but the pay was enough to keep his cabinets stocked and the rent on his studio covered. Plus overnight in such a small hotel really meant most nights he basically got paid to do homework in the break room unless there was an emergency. That is until the idiot owner thought hiring a five-foot-nothing hundred-pound-soaking-wet girl named Kagome as the new night auditor was a good idea. What if they go robbed? What if some Saturday night drunk got handsy? Sure she radiated spiritual power, but that wouldn't mean shit to a human. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So that's why instead of enjoying his quiet alone time in the break room, Inuyasha found himself compelled to start sitting at the front desk with her. But, truth be told, she really didn't need his help. After seeing how she handled the first drunk, the first obvious philanderer, the first "hey can I pay cash please don't ask why" without needing any help from him he could have gone back to his old routine with a clear conscience. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn't want to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the three months since Kagome took over the front desk Inuyasha had grown not just accustomed to her presence, but to her as a whole. Kosei had worked the desk for the two years Inuyasha had been in the hotel and in those two years they'd shared maybe six words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome? Minimum of six words a minute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn't just talk to Inuyasha, although he'd probably talked to him more than anyone else had in years, she was also texting so many people at once he was sure the screen on her phone was going to snap from the rapid fire click-click-click of her thumb nails on the screen. She even talked back to the characters in the 800 books she’d read since the term started. And, most interestingly, she talked to the guests.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome, like most customer service folks, had a little script she ran through with everyone: how are you, what are you staying for, is this the card you want on file, oh that's a nice car, etcetera etcetera. A good mix of polite, personable, and actually getting the check-in process done. But, unlike most overnight folks, Kagome was more than happy to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>actual conversations</span>
  </em>
  <span> with anyone about anything at any point in the narrative. Inuyasha was mildly impressed at her ability to keep a conversation going while typing away without so much as glancing at the screen. While some folks clearly weren't interested in Kagome's chit-chat, those who were gave themselves the opportunity for the occasional perk or upgrade. Kagome always knew just how much she could modify a reservation without the owner having to worry about any lost revenue or missed markups: suite upgrades, drink vouchers, even passing along online promo codes for local attractions. Kagome may cost them a $20 difference in room fees but she more than made up for it with the glowing reviews and return business. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which is why-- after all he’d learned about her and all the work he’d seen her do-- Inuyasha was so confused at this moment. Why was Kagome downgrading this reservation from a double to a single? Sure it was only a few dollars, but the two well dressed business folks standing at the desk had clearly reserved a room with two beds. He knew there were plenty of rooms open, he'd just cleaned them, so why downgrade from a double right next to the elevator to a single at the far end of the hotel? Sure the guests seemed happy enough to get comped room service breakfast for the "inconvenience" but it was an inconvenience Kagome had manufactured. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was that about?” he finally got to ask her once the guests were in the elevator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was what?” she asked, the picture of innocence continuing to type away at the computer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what,” he said, “there are tons of doubles open, why did you move them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stopped typing and looked at him like he’d just asked her </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘what’s 2+2’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I moved them to one bed so they could have sex, obviously,” she answered, turning back to the computer and resuming her typing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So they could WHAT?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome rolled her eyes, “It’s a hotel Inuyasha, people have sex here all the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know I can smell it when I clean the rooms, should get fuckn’ hazard pay after some of the parties we’ve had here,” he rubbed his temples to stave off a memory-induced headache. “What I mean is, why would two coworkers who clearly booked separate beds suddenly have sex if there was only one bed?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome giggled to herself and pushed her rolling chair away from the desk, turning to give Inuyasha her full attention. “One,” she counted off on her pointer finger, “it was a corporate account booking so I doubt they had any say. Two,” she tapped her middle finger, “they were clearly into each other they were giving off signals you could see from space. And three,” she pushed at her ring finger with as much dramatic emphasis as possible, “you should have seen her eyes light up when I mentioned the room switch. Maybe they don’t have sex tonight, but I can atleast be proud of myself for creating the opportunity.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha scoffed, “Keh, all you did was make sure those two are uncomfortable as hell and get no sleep tonight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wanna bet, smart guy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bring it on- mark them as late checkout and I’ll clean the room tomorrow. I bet you $5 the only thing that happens in that room tonight is them cursing your name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome stuck out her hand and shook his clawed one, “Deal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha didn’t even bother looking at Kagome as he threw a crumpled up five dollar bill at her head from across the lobby. Her sing-song ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank You’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>rang through the empty hall as he continued his rounds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so, true to his competitive nature, Inuyasha decided to make this </span>
  <b>A Thing</b>
  <span>. Maybe it was weird to take bets on whether or not random strangers were boning down the hall, but sometimes at 3am there just wasn’t anything else to do. Over the next few weeks they developed a system. Kagome would inform the couple that ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Unfortunately, room 215 isn’t ready</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ which was his cue to actually start paying attention. He spent just about his whole shift up at the desk with her now that the main busy season had ebbed, but he rarely paid any attention to the guests. Once Kagome had them squared away - with the late checkout note- they’d name the bet, previous winner’s choice. Sometimes it was money, sometimes it was food, and once a dead tired Kagome used her win to get Inuyasha to edit her history paper for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He started putting in extra effort after that.  Still, more often than not Kagome was right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, though, he knew she was full of shit and wouldn’t even have to bother. The couple at the desk were never, ever, ever going to get together. If anything, Kagome would be moving the gal into a new room in the middle of the night. Once they were out of sight he laughed out loud, earning a confused expression from Kagome.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those guys in 215? Really? Do you like to lose?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome blinked at him, clearly not following. Finals must have been doing a real number of her overtaxed brain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here, I’ll take pity on your poor tired brain and let you pick the ante anyway, even though I won last time with that couple from Detroit.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome looked down the hall at the retreating pair and then back to Inuyasha, a sly smile spilling across her lips. “Okay dogboy, loser has to take the winner to dinner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha laughed again, “I don’t think you can afford to feed me, but sure, dinner.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They shook on it, Inuyasha more confident than ever that he would be rolling in ramen tomorrow night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking into work Inuyasha was greeted by a series of unusual things. First, Kagome was there even though it was her night off. Second, she blushed when she turned to look at him. Third, the day clerk behind the desk, Sango, was there with the guy from their bet last night. He was standing with his arm around her shoulders, looking oddly cosy for a guy who’d checked in less than 24 hours ago with a different woman. Why was Kagome talking to him? And why did that upset Inuyasha so much? He shook his head to clear the cacophony of thoughts and marched up to the desk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Inuyasha,” greeted Sango as he approached the group. “I’d like you to officially meet my boyfriend Miroku- although I suppose you did meet him last night.” She nodded her head to the man next to her who extended his hand to Inuyasha’s to shake. Inuyasha, instead, looked at the group of them like they’d handed him a live eel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your what?” he asked, both eyebrows slowly disappearing into his hairline as clarity failed to come through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kagome’s giggle broke him from his stupor. He turned to look at her just in time to see her hand coming up towards his head. Her soft, tiny fingers began to massage his right ear, rendering his insides to goo. He almost didn’t hear her start to tease him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You need to use these guys more often dogboy. The reservation was under her name and everything!” She took her hand away after giving the velvety appendage one last tweak, and he immediately missed it. Ear’s left alone, Inuyasha’s brain finally caught up to what Kagome had said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so you cheated! You knew Sango was only here to get laid and you set the bet anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oi! A little decorum in my workplace please!” Sango hissed from behind the counter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Decorum,” scoffed Inuyasha, “I’m not the one using my employee discount so I can pull a Clark Kent/Superman with an out of town boytoy.” He gestured to Miroku who looked entirely too pleased with this new moniker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sango crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest and took a calming breath, but Kagome interjected before the two of them could start a shouting match in the middle of the lobby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t cheat, thank you very much. They were actually in room 215, you just weren’t paying attention. And besides,” a violent blush began to spread from Kagome’s neck up to her eyebrows, her words coming out faster and faster as her sentence approached the end, “I’ve been trying to get you to ask me out for weeks and this seemed like as good a chance as any to get you to take me to dinner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha was never going to get a handle on this conversation. He felt his own face flush at her admission and began to rack his brain trying to think of what signals he had missed. She was flirty, sure, but she was like that with everyone. She touched his ears once or twice, but he never smelled any reaction from her. She smiled a lot, but again she always did. She offered to help him with an English paper once, but she was an English major so it’s not like it would have been hard. She gave him her phone number in case he needed it, but he’d never used it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His revelation must have shown on his face because Sango and Miroku had started giggling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha cleared his throat and tried to scrape up as much dignity as he could. “Um, so dinner then? Tomorrow?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow is good,” she said, pulling out her phone and opening what he assumed was a calendar app, “I have class ‘til 7 then I’m free. Uh, here--” she clicked a few buttons and then handed him the phone, “Add in your number for me so I can text you the address.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blush was back with a vengeance when he looked at the screen. She’d opened a new contact page with “</span>
  <span class="emoji">❤️ </span>
  <span>Inuyasha</span>
  <span class="emoji">❤️ </span>
  <span>” as the name. He typed the number as quickly as his claws could allow, then handed it back to her. She slid the phone into her back jeans pocket and reached behind the counter to claim her giant yellow backpack. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should probably get going to class, but um,” she took two small steps and closed the gap between them. Standing directly in front of him she quickly bounced up onto her tip toes and pecked a small kiss onto his cheek. Even with such brief contact he could feel the gentle radiating heat from her flush as her petal soft lips brushed against his skin. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispered, then she tucked her head to her chest and practically bolted across the lobby, out the door, and around the corner towards the parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Inuyasha blinked twice, then turned and bolted after Kagome. He’d call out tonight- after months of apparently being an idiot he wasn’t gonna wait til tomorrow. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Morning Glory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Post-Canon Honest Parent Life Moment for Zelico on Tumblr. <br/>Note this is much sexier than any other other stories in this collection and is a SOLID M RATING.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a quiet summer morning. The sun was just beginning to crest, the wind was cool, and the sky a pale gold. Inuyasha always loved watching the sun rise, the calm before the chaos of the day was his favorite as long as he could remember. But this particular morning his attention was focused on a much less celestial body. Standing outside the west wall of his home, hakama around his ankles, his wife pinned between his chest and the rough wood exterior of their hut. She was still dressed in her sleeping yukata, her obi loosed just enough to slide the fabric open and away from her breast- currently held in his left hand. His right was supporting her under her bottom, keeping her in place as he thrust into her. Her arms were wrapped securely around the back of his neck, holding him close to her as she whispered demands into his ears. </p>
<p>Three years ago, when she first came back to him, he could hardly believe that she would allow him to touch her, let alone everything else she let him do. The idea that they would be so comfortable with each other -- so familiar with each other to have a pre-dawn quickie, half dressed, outside-- it was unthinkable. And yet Kagome seemed to always bring the unthinkable into his life. Unknown trust, unwavering friendship, unimaginable companionship. </p>
<p>And two winters ago, twin boys. An unprecedented quarter-demon family running around a small farming village calling a time-traveling priestess Mother. </p>
<p>It was unreal. <br/>It was unbelievable. <br/>And yet here he was, buried to the hilt in this reality. </p>
<p>Kagome dug her nails into the flesh of his neck as he felt her approaching climax. His ears perked up and pointed towards their front door. The twins had woken up only moments ago - changing his wife’s pleading of faster and harder from playful to demanding. Two hanyou sons left very little time for intimacy, so Inuyasha would be damned if he let this opportunity slip by without Kagome reaching completion. He shifted his weight and quickly jostled his wife in his arms, changing the angle of their joining just enough to push her over the edge. </p>
<p>She bit down on his shoulder to muffle her cries, her blunt teeth leaving new impressions over his mating mark. The added stimulation pushed him to climax just as Kagome went limp. He held her a moment longer before setting her back on her feet, holding her hand to make sure she retained her balance. Seeing she was stable, he dropped to his knees in front of her, hoping to indulge in his favorite post-coital ritual. Licking her clean, tasting and smelling their joining, it made his inner demon sing. </p>
<p>But it was not to be. Instead Kagome leaned down and placed a small kiss on the top of his head, grabbed the sleeve of his suikan, and quickly wiped between her legs. She tucked her breast back into her yukata and tied her obi as she jogged around the corner shouting thank you over her shoulder. He heard her quickly pull back the reed mat and begin crooning Good Morning! to their children. His children. </p>
<p>He couldn’t help but laugh to himself, sitting on his knees in the dirt, alone, his soft sticky member swinging in the breeze. He looked down at his ebbing erection. “This is all your fault ya know,” he said in a quiet grumble, “couldn’t make just one baby could ya? No you had to go and make two.” He shook his head and stood, putting his clothes to rights as he walked to join his wife and sons for breakfast.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Always Saying the Wrong Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Birthday to hnnwnchstr! Hanna you are a DELIGHT and I hope this soulmate-au ficlet lives up to your expectations :D<br/>Rated T for all the swearing</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> No. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was a Tuesday, like any other fucking Tuesday. Inuyasha rolled out of bed way too early, showered, ate breakfast, and stood in front of his closet deeply hating his company’s office attire dress code. Who cared if he had jeans or slacks or a ratty tshirt? It’s not like they were customer facing - they published textbooks for crying out loud - and everyone knew better than to come into his office. The only people who saw his overpriced dress shirts were the barista and the garage attendant. Inuyasha was lost in his grumbling as he started absentmindedly rolling up his shirt sleeves until a black mark caught his eye and he stopped. </p><p> </p><p>As Inuyasha stared at the mark on his arm for the billionth time he couldn’t help but feel even angrier. Just like everyone else on Earth he had a birthmark on his right forearm, just below the crease of his elbow. His soulmark- the magical first thing his soulmate would say to him when they finally met. For some people it was a question, or a cute conversation starter. Some folks were “unlucky'' and other birthmarks or scars obscured the mark and made it almost unreadable. Inuyasha wished he would be so ‘unlucky’. instead his mark made it perfectly fucking clear that when he met his soulmate the first thing out of their mouth would be the word “no.” Not “no” and something else. Just "no". End of sentence. </p><p> </p><p>As he finished getting dressed, making sure his shirt sleeves came all the way down to his wrist, he scowled. Who the fuck said no to their soulmate? Sure, he knew better than to think his soulmate would love him-- plenty of people just kept their soulmates as friends. Or maybe they would fall in love, but more and more folks these days were polyamorous with their soulmate and a chosen partner. He would be fine with that too!  But to be dismissed as soon as they met? How racist did you have to be to reject your <em> soulmate </em> because he was a hanyou? He shook his head, his long silver braid swinging violently. Thinking about shit like this so early in the morning was probably the reason he had resting bitch face all day. </p><p> </p><p>His day didn’t improve. He’d been so unfocused in the morning he’d gotten to the office late, so no coffee. Then he had a list of <em> urgent </em> emails a mile long as soon as he logged in because of a fuck up with one of the junior editors. And to top it off, his fucking arm was itchy as hell for no reason. By the time he finally got to take his very late lunch he was ready to just light the building on fire and start over somewhere else. He stormed out of the office, bulldozing his way through the halls to get to the exit. He threw the door wide, happy to finally get a breath of fresh air after being in his stuffy office for six hours. </p><p> </p><p>But the door bounced back at him, and he heard a horrible high pitched shriek of “NO!” and a heavy thund. He took two quick steps to clear the door, looking down at the sidewalk. Sprawled out on the ground behind the door was a small woman in office wear, a coffee- hazelnut by the smell - splashed all over her and the sidewalk. As she held the damp fabric away from her chest, Inuyasha could smell tears threatening to fall, a lot of them if he could smell them over the hazelnut brew splashed everywhere. </p><p> </p><p>“Fuck!” He took a step towards her, holding his hand out to help her up. But he’d barely moved before his mark stung like he’d be struck by lightning. The same happened to the woman across from him as she dropped remains of the crumbled paper cup and grasped her own arm. Her eyes became the size of dinner plates as she turned to look up at him, her expression one of shock and anger. </p><p> </p><p>“You! You, <em> fucker </em>!”</p><p> </p><p>-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fuck. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Kagome sighed in frustration; today was not her day. She had to take an Uber to work because her car wouldn’t start, she’d gotten a paper cut at 9:04am, and now the printer was jammed again. As she stood there, smacking the useless device in a last ditch attempt to make it work she felt the word crawl up her throat just begging to be let out. Maybe if she screamed obscenities at it, the printer would work again. But no. In all of her twenty-two years on this Earth, she had fought to avoid any and all profanity.</p><p> </p><p>When she broke her toe? Frigid cold. When she flucked a math test? Sugar cookies. She didn’t care how annoyed or hurt or mad she was; she refused to curse under any circumstances. Not until she met <em> them. </em> What kind of person swears so much that the guaranteed first word out of your mouth when you met your soulmate was <em> fuck. </em> Not even a full sentence! Just <em> fuck! </em> That potty mouth had cursed her to a lifetime of long sleeves, of having to wear a bandaid whenever she went swimming, and of getting in major trouble when she taught a bad word to her second grade classmates because she was honest about what her mark said. She let out a frustrated breath through her nose and walked away. If a broken toe hadn’t gotten the better of her, then this printer wouldn’t either. Maybe a late afternoon latte would fix her bad day. </p><p> </p><p>Kagome went back to her office and grabbed her mini-backpack, rolling her eyes at the impracticality of women’s office wear. Her pale green dress shirt and white pencil skirt were cute and formal, but the lack of pockets was just one more thing to deal with today. She exited the accounting office, just one of a dozen professional suites in the little strip mall, and thanked every kami she could that the coffee shop was just four doors down. </p><p> </p><p>Walking back across the professional complex, piping hot hazelnut latte in hand, she had just made it to the publishing office next door when her day got so much worse. She wasn’t even walking that close to the building, but it was close enough that when the door came flying open she didn’t even see it until it was in her face, smashing her arm against her chest and causing her to stagger backwards, quickly losing her balance in her low heels. </p><p> </p><p>“NO!” she shrieked as her backside hit the ground, her hot coffee splattering all over her clothes and the sidewalk. She took in a sharp breath between her clenched teeth and pulled her hand off the textured walkway and into her lap. Her hand was likely bleeding from catching her fall. Her eyes began to sting with tears as her frustration level reached critical mass. </p><p> </p><p>“Fuck!”</p><p> </p><p>Kagome looked up and saw a tall man walking around the door and towards her, his fluffy puppy ears pinned back and his eyes wide. He took two quick steps and held his hand out to help her up, but they both pulled their arms back just as suddenly. Kagome dropped the crumpled paper cup as her mark burned worse than the coffee on her chest. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she turned to properly face the man who was now holding his own arm. </p><p> </p><p>THIS WAS HIM? Not only did he ruin her soulmark experience but he ruined her favorite skirt? </p><p> </p><p>"You! You, <em> Fucker!" </em></p><p> </p><p>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0</p><p> </p><p>Inuyasha felt all guilt immediately leave him.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey! It was an accident! Why don’t you watch where you’re going next time,” he groused.</p><p> </p><p>“An accident!” Kagome screamed, quickly pulling herself up to her feet. She popped open the cuff button on her blouse and quickly pulled up the sleeve, showing him her soulmark. While before it had been black like a fresh tattoo, now it was pale pink like an old scar. “This is not an accident you jackass! Who swears so much he damns a little girl to wearing sweaters in July and getting sent home from school for teaching the other kids bad words?”</p><p> </p><p>Inuyasha pinned his ears back, his ire from that morning returning. “You’re doing an all right job of running your mouth without having to blame me for it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been missed out! Twenty-two years of holding my tongue because you can’t be a gentleman!”</p><p> </p><p>Despite his frustration Inuyasha couldn’t help but start to laugh. The smile fought its way onto his face, and once he started he couldn’t stop. Kagome did not seem to find this nearly as amusing. She scowled, “What’s so funny?”</p><p> </p><p>He carefully rolled up his own sleeve, showing her his own faded soulmark. </p><p> </p><p>“You thought I was some kind of deviant, but it’s still better than growing up assuming your soulmate is a racist.”</p><p> </p><p>Kagome’s mouth fell open in shock. “That’s a horrible thing to assume about someone. And as far as I can see I was right, you are a jackass.” </p><p> </p><p>Inuyasha’s eyebrow perked up, but he had to nod. She was right, he was kind of a jackass.</p><p> </p><p>“Ya know, for being new at this you seem to really be enjoying your expanded vocabulary.”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged. “Yeah, well, it’s weirdly liberating.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re free to keep calling me a jackass, but my name is Inuyasha.”</p><p> </p><p>“Jackass is fewer syllables.”</p><p> </p><p>“True.”</p><p> </p><p>Kagome wiped her hand on her skirt, quickly brushing off the bits of dirt. She held the vaguely clean hand out. “I’m Kagome, and if you call me a bitch I will slap you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kagome,” he said, still holding her hand, “can I buy you a replacement coffee? I can teach you all my favorite profanities and you can pick your own rude nickname.” </p><p> </p><p>Kagome took a step closer, “You better have a hell of a dirty vocabulary to make it through all the coffee dates you owe me, buster.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only one way to find out,” he said, dropping her hand and instead looping his arm through hers. He lead her back to the coffee shop for the first of what he hoped were many dates.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The (Not So) Single Rider Line</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A 'Single Rider Line' AU, rated T for language</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Dedicated to @saraneth86 with a prompt from @dailyau over on Tumblr</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were so pleased to finally move into the indoors portion of the six-hundred mile long queue for The Revenge of the Mummy ride. Summer in central Florida meant that inside was still much warmer than home, but it was out of the sun, and that made it much more comfortable. In all honesty, Kagome didn’t really mind the lines. Sure, they bailed on anything with a more than 45 minute wait, but the queues were decorated with lots of things to look at and talk about, even though Sango and Miroku were never at a shortage of conversation starters, and really the point of the trip was to spend time together-- the rides were just a bonus. </p><p>As they wove their way to the final corral Kagome couldn’t stop the squeal of excitement that came out of her face as the three of them were loaded into the front car. When the ride operator waved over an obnoxiously beautiful man from the single rider line, Kagome suddenly found that the room’s immaculate decoration couldn’t hold her attention anymore. Despite the heat and the long silver hair going down to the middle of his back, he didn’t show the slightest sign of overheating: his red tshirt was still crisp, and his jeans didn’t look nearly as melted to his form as they should have been considering the humidity. Then he removed his baseball cap and Kagome saw them; two perky puppy ears perched on the top of his head. Well that explains that, she thought, suddenly very jealous of the demon heritage that kept him cool while her human pores were working overtime to sweat as much as possible. She didn’t have any time to become self conscious of her smell as the car surged forward, taking them into the dark introduction of the immersive film ride. </p><p>The Mummy was her favorite movie, and during the first minute she couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. She was seriously worried her face was going to hurt by the end of the ride! The bursts of fire had definitely caught her off guard, wiping the smile away as she jumped out of her skin. But it was the sudden pause at the scarab wall and the thrust backwards into the dark that finally made her scream, grabbing down on the lap bar with all her might. </p><p>As the car finally careened back to the loading zone, Kagome felt the adrenaline ebb out of her system, leaving her in stitches as she laughed her way out of her seat and down the long exit ramp into the themed gift shop. The post-ride buzz shuddered through her system, and she reached her left hand up to wipe away a hysterical tear.</p><p>Except it wasn’t just her hand she lifted up. As she looked down at the tan, clawed fingers intertwined with her own it took decidedly too long for her dizzy brain to catch up to that was happening. She stopped walking, earning an aggravated squawk from the couple behind her, and turned sharply to her left, meeting the silver haired stranger face-to-face. He still had his ball cap in his hand, so she could see from his ears that his full attention was on her. </p><p>She dropped his hand as if it burnt her, her whole face turning sunstroke red for reasons that had nothing to do with the heat. “I am so sorry!” she screeched, “I didn’t even realize I’d grabbed you!”</p><p>Instead of being angry or upset, the man - the very tall, very tan, very beautiful man - just shrugged. “Seemed like you need it. You’ve got a serious death grip, though, you’re lucky I’m not human.” </p><p>“Still, I --ope!” she was shocked into silence as he gently grabbed her arm and guided her to the wall and out of the middle of the flow of people. </p><p>“Umm, thank you. I promise I’m not usually this much of an airhead,” she said, her voice thick with mortification. </p><p>He shrugged again, “S’all good. Could be worse, at least you have a cute blush.”</p><p>If possible, her face went even more red. She cleared her throat and pulled at a stay lock of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. “So, ah, what’s a guy like you doing in a single rider line like this?”</p><p>For the first time in their encounter he frowned, “Friends I’m with didn’t wanna ride, why wait in the longer line alone?”</p><p>Kagome couldn't help being slightly crestfallen to learn he was there with other people. She was dying to know exactly who had bailed on him to earn such a sour expression.  “Well, I’m sure you want to get back to your girlfriend then,” Kagome said in the worst attempt at casual she had ever done in her life.</p><p>The man’s ear twitched. “Didn’t say girlfriend.”</p><p>Kagome attempted again to keep her very limited cool and not let this new information go to her head, but based on the fangy smirk that spread across the man’s face, she utterly failed at that, too.</p><p>He continued in a casual tone that in no wait prepared Kagome for how vulgar his comment was going to be. “I’m actually third wheeling pretty hard today. They’re off fucking in the bathroom...again...so they really don’t miss me.”</p><p>That finally shocked Kagome into a genuine expression. “That’s so gross! Not to mention super rude for them to ditch you like that.”</p><p>He shrugged, which Kagome was quickly learning was his primary form of communication, “Wolf demons; in the season there’s no helping it.”</p><p>Kagome was saved from having to find a reply to that fun-fact by a loud ping from her smart watch. Quickly pressing the notification, she saw that Sango and Miroku had given up waiting for her and were headed across the street to grab a table for lunch. She smiled down at her wrist before returning her attention to her new companion.</p><p>“In that case, can I buy you lunch in exchange for nearly breaking your hand? My friend’s grabbed a table across the street and I’d love for you to join us.”</p><p>He blinked down at her in surprise, clearly not expecting the offer. She was pleased when a soft smile spread over his lips and he pulled his ball cap down on his head. He stuck out his hand, “Name’s Inuyasha.”</p><p>“Kagome,” she said, giggling at the formality as he clasped her hand in a very business-like shake. It was decidedly less formal, though, when instead of letting go he used their joined hands to tug her towards the doors. As they walked towards lunch in the warm Florida sun - Inuyasha’s fingers intertwined with hers on purpose this time - Kagome found herself wanting to write a letter of thanks for whoever came up with the idea of the single rider line.</p>
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